Cotton swabs are widely available in standard 3-inch (7.62 cm) rod lengths and 1/10-inch (2.54 mm) rod diameter, with the cotton factory-applied at both ends of the rod. It is a purpose of the present invention to enable a person to use such swabs, unassisted, to apply medication accurately to portions of his person, such as his back, which would otherwise be difficult or impossible to reach.
In a professional search of the Patent and Trademark Office files U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,431,881 to Eriscon-Smith and 4,381,766 to Avollo were developed on devices enabling a person to apply powder or fluid to his or her back. But neither of these patents would be useful for the purpose of the present invention since they do not describe or suggest devices capable of manipulating a swab, and particularly a double ended swab. The search also developed U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,809 to Prost which describes a swab holder for cleaning apparatus and the like with single-ended swabs. Prost's device would be useless for a double-ended swab since it is necessary to insert an end of the rod of the swab into a close-fitting tube. Nor could the Prost device direct a swab at the proper angle for application by someone to his own back.